U.S. men's soccer humbled by training camp at Naval Academy

U.S. Men’s National Team coach Gregg Berhalter and his band of coaches moved his players from drill to drill at a brisk pace.

U.S. soccer legend Landon Donovan ambled around the periphery of the drills — picking up balls, chatting up coaches and sharing some of his hard-fought wisdom with many of the players in attendance.

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That included Tyler Collins and Jacob Williams, rising sophomores on the Navy men’s soccer squad.

Yes indeed, a unique sight has been playing out for the past week at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility on Navy’s campus. The U.S. Men’s National team is currently camping in Annapolis ahead of its Gold Cup friendly against Jamaica on Wednesday night at Audi Field in D.C.

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As much as it has been a pleasure for Navy men’s coach Tim O’Donohue and his staff to host the national team, feelings of admiration and thanks have certainly been reciprocated by Berhalter and his charges.

“When you reflect on it: We are the team that is representing the United States, and then you think about all those who have sacrificed their lives and everything veterans have sacrificed to protect our freedom,” Berhalter said.

“I think it is humbling to be here. We have a great honor to play for our country and I can imagine the honor armed services members have in representing the country as well.”

Veteran U.S. defender Tim Ream, who just completed his fourth season with Fulham of the English Premier League, echoed those sentiments.

“It is cliché to say it is special to be here, but I don’t know if there is any other word,” Ream said. “You drive through the gates and you look at the buildings and you see everyone walk around in their uniforms. The first time I drove through was Tuesday morning and I had goosebumps.

“First it was through the little town of Annapolis and then you come through the gates and you see all the buildings and the little boats and everyone in uniform and you respect them for what they are doing, possibly giving their lives, and putting their lives on the line for us to allow us to do what we do. To be here is special,” Ream added.

It’s also part of the build-up for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup in the short-term and the 2022 World Cup qualifying cycle, which begins in earnest next March. Concacaf is an abbreviation for Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.

“I think you look at it as you are building toward the Gold Cup and World Cup qualifying and the World Cup itself, and you want to continue to build throughout this cycle,” Berhalter said. “That is why we are doing camps like this where we are mixing it up and working with a different group of people.”

Berhalter was referring to the myriad of players who have been coming into the Annapolis camp at different times, which is the norm for at this time of year.

Europeans seasons have just concluded, with American players competing in England finishing a week earlier than those in leagues like the German Bundesliga and Turkish Süper Lig and others.

Meanwhile, Major League Soccer is halfway through its 2019 campaign, so players coming from those teams did not arrive until a few days later. Others, like $73.1 million Chelsea signee Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams, who recently played in the DFB-Pokal German Cup final against Bayern Munich for RB Leipzig, will not be available on Wednesday night.

“It is different. There are a lot of Olympic age kids here, I think 11 of them, and we are working with a smaller pool and it is great,” said Berhalter, referring to the influx of Under-23 players he had in camp the first several days. “It gives us an opportunity to evaluate different players.”

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U.S. Men's National Team poses on the steps of Bancroft Hall, United States Naval Academy. (isisphotos.com)

The U.S. opens defense if its 2017 Gold Cup title against Guyana at brand-new Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 18. The Americans face Trinidad & Tobago on June 22 at Cleveland’s FirstEnergy Stadium and Panama at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City on June 27.

In addition to the Jamaica friendly, the team plays Venezuela in a similar exhibition in Cincinnati on June 9.

“It is a good experience, obviously. I am constantly learning and constantly growing, which is the most important thing,” said defender Matt Miazga, a Chelsea man most recently loaned out to Reading in the English League Championship. “It is always an honor to be part of the national team. It is the greatest honor to represent this country and I am here to hopefully continue establishing myself with the national team.”

Miazga, Ream and former University of Maryland product Omar Gonzalez are part of a national team defense that has impressed in the first six months of Berhalter’s regime, posting three shutouts and allowing just one goal in four friendlies, the last a 1-1 draw with Chile in March.

“We have done well, but we want more. We want to continue with the progress,” Gonzalez said. “Gregg and his staff have painted a clear picture of the way he wants us to play. It is about maintaining that competitiveness and the way we are playing at all times, and at the same time we want to keep on getting better so that we are really playing well and people around the world can see us in a different light.”

The provisional 40-man roster must be trimmed to the official 23-man Gold Cup roster by midnight of June 5, after the completion of the Jamaica friendly.

”A lot of the work will be done beforehand and some decisions will be made after the game based on the health and availability of players at that time,” Berhalter said.

The players and coaches are looking forward to the start of the Gold Cup, as are the national team supporters, who are eager and hungry to get into this World Cup qualifying cycle as well.